caldera cone modification?

"Am I going to lose to much heat in that thin walled mug by having it raised out of the cone so much?(original design the top lip sits flush on the top of the cone)"

You could try making one of aluminum flashing and compare boiling times.

Great idea DK. Maybe just raising the mug out and lifting the esbit tab will give me a good enough idea. Is there an ideal distance esbit should be from a mug/pot?

I don't have any experience with esbit, but I'm sure someone else can come in with that answer.

"Is there an ideal distance esbit should be from a mug/pot?"

We've discussed this recently.

Basically, not exactly.

There is one ideal distance for boiling speed, and another one for fuel efficiency, but they all vary due to water temperature, water volume, wind, cook pot shape, and other factors.

If you want to see what the Esbit company thinks is the ideal distance, notice the Esbit wing stove and where that puts the Esbit cube from the cook pot bottom.

–B.G.–

Esbit height: http://thru-hiker.com/articles/esbit_stove_height.php

I'd also recommend checking out the Esbit thread over in gear talks. Lot of interesting info there.

I'd also reference the thread below since you want to do basically the same thing.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=72925

Good luck!

What I do with the caldera cone instead of that plastic container is I bring a plastic coffee mug and stuff it in there. About 2 or 3 inches sticks out the top but it seems it protects the caldera cone well enough. As long as I'm going to bring a whole cook kit I may as well enjoy a cup of coffee in an insulated mug so I can linger over it. You could also just roll it up and stuff something inside it, like your fuel bottle, an extra plastic bottle, maybe even stuff some extra socks and hats. Secure with rubber bands or hair ties and it should be protected well enough depending on where you put it in your pack.

If you use a cup, here is an option for packing the longer caldera cones. Find a tapered plastic cup and cut it down until it is a snug fit inside your mug.